Typographical composing machine



y 9, 1940- R. H. SC'OTT ET AL 2,207,027

TYPOGRAPHICAL CQMPOSING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet l R. H. SCOTT ET AL I ,207,027 TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE July 9, 1940.

Filed May 6, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 'N P Q July 9, 1940. R H SCOTT ET AL TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 6, 1939 IMM y 1940- R. H scbTT ET AL 2, 7,0 7

TYPOGRAPHICAL .COMPOSING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1959- 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 9, 1940.

R. H. SCOTT ET AL wyroemrmcm, COMPOSING momma Filed May 6, 1959 7 Sheets-Spam, 5

Ju y 9, 1940.- R. H. COTT Er AL 2 207,021

TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 l/vmvro/ar W44 m 7m M 81 M W 4% W y 9, 1940- R. H SCOTT ET AL TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Patented July 9, 1940 2 207 027,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Richard Henry Scott, Enfield, and William Fairall Gorse and Arthur Staniland Hayward, Altrincham, England, assignors to Linotype and Machinery Limited, London, England, a British limited-liability company Application May 6, 1939, Serial No. 272,210 In Great BritainMay 11, 1938 I 11 Claims. (01. 199-11 This invention relates to typographical com ably endless and capable of intermittent moveposing machines of the kind employing circu-- ment in one direction so that as one line holder lating matrices which, by the operation of a keycarries a line to the distributor another holder is board, are released from magazines'in which they brought into line-receiving relationship with the .5 are stored, and assembled in line, and wherein elevator a e a ly leV -v 5v the assembled line is transferred from the as- Further features of the invention include keysembler to a carrier or elevator by which the actuated or automatically controlled means for line is presented to a mould for the casting of a t ting the movements of a' line-transfer box slug or type bar, the matrices and spacebands or ca ria e, a line-resistant fin r op rat n n 1Q being subsequently transferred from the elevator the assembler a d constituting P t of t e soto distributing mechanism by which they are recalled assembler slide and means actuated on the stored to their appropriate magazine channels or ownward movement of a line-transfer box, magazine; adapted to tilt said finger downwardly clear of More particularly, the invention relates to the the line to be transferred, said means also servili a hi of t kind, wherein t composed ing to control the return of the assembler slide' line is transferred from the assembler to the eleand line resistant to their initial position ready vator in a straight horizontal path, and wherein for the assembly of a fresh e. the elevator, which receives the line so trans- The nv i n s h n t more pa a y ferred at the assembly level, conveys the line to described with refere t one constructional 2!). a different level for casting and returns to the form t er of lu a ed in the a pa y assembly level to discharge the used line and to drawings, n Wh ch! receive a new line, the discharged line being taken Figure 1 s a f t elev o showi SufiiCient by another organ of the machine for conveyance f a yp ap i al mp s n and d stri ut to or towards the distributing mechanism. machine to ow t application f the p s t 2-5 The object of the invention is to provide iminvention o; proved means for transferring the composed line Figure 2 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of from the assembler to the elevator and from the the a mb ing mechanism; elevator to the distributor, to enable a high speed Figure 3 is a p w of the a sembler slide of composition to be maintained, by eliminating and associated par .30 or substantially reducing periods during which Figure 4 is a side elevation of the assembler operation of the keyboard must be interrupted a d t e mechanism illustrated in Figure during line transfers or owing to any of the suc- Figure 5 s a e elevation, With portions cessive organs of the machine not being in conbroken away, of the dist bu y r a pdition for the reception of a line in transit, and erating means therefor;

by reducing the interval of time between casting g re 6 is a front elevation of portion of the and distribution to ensure a speedyretum of the s tor co vey showing a ine holder in matrices and spacebands to their respective magline-receiving position; 1

Zin Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the line hold- With these objects in view, a typographical ers; 40 composing machine according to the invention Figure 8 is a front elevation of the devices for 0 comprises a line-transfer box or carriage adapted transferring the line to the distributor showing a to engage a completed line by moving downwardline holder in the line-delivering position;

ly into the assembler and thereafter to move hori- F u e 9 is an e e a P y in section, of

zontally to carry the line out of the assembler the line-transferring mechanism illustrated in towards the elevator, and into the elevator when Figure 8; and 45 the latter is at the assembly level. The move- Figure 10 is a detached view, inside elevation merit of the line into the elevator preferably also showing means for operating the assembler and effects the ejection therefrom of the line predistributor transfer slides. viously'cast. r The drawings show the invention as applied to A machine according to the invention further a machine which, so far as its general construc- 50 comprises a distributor conveyor including a plution is concerned, is of the kind known commerrality of line holders each adapted to receive a cially under the registered trade-mark Linoline discharged from the elevator at the assembly type. For this reason it is deemed unnecessary level and convey said line upwardly to the disherein to more particularly describe or illustrate tributing mechanism, said conveyor being preferin detail those parts which are, or may be, sub- 5 stantially identical with or similar to those of well-known machines of the said kind. The relevant parts of such a machine, however, are shown in Figure 1, from which it will be recognized that matrices X (Figure 9), and spacebandsY (Figure 8), are composed in line in an assembler l and stacked therein by a star wheel 4, against a line resistant carried by an assembler slide (hereinafter designated as a Whole by the reference numeral 6) and spacebands in the usual manner, held yieldingly against the leading matrix of an assembling line by a spring 8 acting on the assembler slide '5, which latter, as also is usual, is provided with a brake 9 which permits advancing movement of the slide and prevents its backward movement during line assembly. After assembly the line is transferred by a transfer carriage lever 44 which acts in known manner to move the line into the elevator 51 by which the line is presented to the casting mechanism. Subsequently the line is conveyed to the distributing mechanism, the matrices delivered to a lift box 65 and the spacebands. to their magazine 65.

For the purposes of the present invention the assembler l is in the form of a fixed horizontal guideway formed with rails 2, 3, to support the matrices, the assembler slide '1 is divided lengthwise into two portions 5, l, as shown best in Figure 2, and the leading portion 6, which carries the resistant finger 5, is pivotally connected to the following portion so that it may be swung downwardly to remove the resistant finger 5 from the assembler l. The forward end of the leading portion 6 is normally supported on an underlying 1 retractible roller iii, and the rear end of the said portion 5 is provided with a downwardly extending bracket H, which is pivotally mounted at [2 on a bracket 53 extending downwardly and forwardly from the leading end of the following portion 1.

A, roller l4 concentric with the pivot l2, and. running in a fixed guideway l5, serves as a support for the adjacent ends of the two assembler slide portions throughout the longitudinal movement of the slide. An arm 56 extends downwardly from the pivot l2 of the leading portion 5 and is connected to a block ll on a control rod l8 which serves to control the pivotal movement of the said portion '5, as hereinafter described, and a spring i9 acting between the leading and following slide portions tends constantly to maintain the leading portion 5 in its horizontal operative position.

The following portion 7 of the assembler slide is provided on its underside with a rack 25 adapted to be engaged by an assembler slide locking pawl 2|, mounted on a fixed pivot 22 and normal- 1y held by its own weight out of engagement with the rack 25. This pawl 2t is also formed with an extension 2a which co-operates with an assembler slide-brake trip lever 24 to effect release of the brake 9 when the pawl 21 is moved into engagement with the rack 29.

The above-mentioned control rod I8 (see Figures 3 and 4) lies below and at the rear of the assembler slide, parallel thereto, and is slidable longitudinally in fixed guides 25, to effect tilting of the assembler slide portion 6, as hereinafter described. The block i? on the control rod l8, has pivoted to it at 28, a pawl '26 which can be engaged with a rack 2'! on the rod is, but is normally held out of such engagement, as shown in full lines in Figure 3, by a bar 3!, lying parallel with the rod l8, bearing against a roller 3! on an arm of the pawl and resisting the action of a spring 29 constantly tending to move the pawl 26 to the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in the said figure, i. e., into engagement with the rack 2'1. The bar 3| is mounted for parallel motion away from and towards the control rod it, being pivoted at one end to an arm 54 by which it is operated as hereinafter described, and guided at the other end by a roller 62 running in a slot 63 in a fixed bracket 64. Thus, during the assembly of a, line, owing to the action of the bar 3! and the connection of the block I! to the arm IS, the said block 11 moves leftward, as viewed in Figures 1, 2 and 3, along the rod. [8, accompanying the movement of the assembler slide .6 in the same direction. The rod 18 is further provided with a rigid arm 32, which on longitudinal movement of the rod I8, actuates the assembler slide locking pawl 21.

The line transfer device, in the present constructional form of the invention (see particularly Figures 2 and 3), is in the form of a carriage 33 having depending fingers 34, 35, for engaging opposite ends of the assembled line, which is laterally slidable in a horizontal guide 36 Vertically movable in a guide 31. In the normal rest position in which it is represented in the drawings, the line transfer carriage 33 is located above the assembler l and the carriage guide 36 is in its upper position, in which it is retained by a spring catch 38 which can be actuated by a lever 39 (which may be controlled-by a finger key or automatically, e. g., by a perforated tape) to release the carriage guide 36. On the descent of the latter, a pivoted latch 40 mounted thereon and retaining the carriage 33 in its rightmost position, is released by an adjustable stop 4| (secured to the stationary vertical guide 31) engaging a rod 42 connected with the latch, to permit the carriage to move leftward under the action of a spring 43, acting through lever 44 and link 45. The return movement of the transfer'slide is effected in known manner by a cam on the main cam shaft acting on the lever 44.

During the descent of the guide 36, the aboveclescribed assembler slide control mechanism is actuated through the movement of a lever 46 controlled by a link 4'! depending from the carriage guide 36; For this purpose one arm of the actuating lever 48 extends into the downward path of the said. link 4'! and its other arm is arranged to swing between two arms 48, 49, respectively, secured to vertical rock shafts 58, 5i, at the rear of the assembler (see Figures 3 and 4). These two arms 48, 49, are hereinafter termed the bar operating arm and the control rod operating arm respectively. The shaft 50 to which the bar operating arm 48 is secured, also carries a second arm 52 connected by a link 53 to the retractible assembler slide supporting roller Ill, and a third arm 54 pivotally connected to the parallel motion bar 3|. A spring 55 acting preferably on the arm 54, constantly tends to move the bar operating arm 48 towards the actuating lever 46, such movement being normally prevented by a stronger spring 55 acting on said lever 46. The shaft 5i of the control rod operating arm 49 carries a second arm 51 having a pin and slot connection with the control rod l8. Hence, when the actuating lever 46 is moved by the link 4'! on the descent of the line carriage 33, against the action of the spring 56, the bar operating arm 48 urged by the spring 55 follows the actuating lever 46 during the initial movement of the latter, and thereby the assembler slide supporting roller l0, through the link 53, is retracted from its operative position and the bar 3| is actuated to permit the spring 29 and pawl 26 to lock the block I! to the control rod l'8. Immediately thereafter the actuating lever 46 contacts with the control rod operating arm 49 and moves, the control rod rightwardly longitudinally. This longitudinal movement first actuates, the slide locking pawl 2i, by'means of the arm 32, to lock the rear portion I of the slide against return movement, and to release the slide-brake 9. Continued movement of the control rod IS in the same direction serves, through the movement of the block H with the rod, to turn the assembler slide portion 6 downwardly about its pivot l2, thereby removing the line-resistant from the assembler I.

As the resistant 5 reaches its inoperative position, the above-mentioned catch 49 releases the carriage 33 which then carries the line out of the lised to release the actuating lever 46 and thereby.

to bring about the return movement of the control rod l8 and parallel motion bar 3| to re-set the assembler slide 1 for the composition of a new line. To this end the link 4'! depending from the carriage slide is formed with an upwardly extending head having an arcual slot 58 engaged by apin 59 on the slide, and this depending portion is guided for vertical and pivotal movement by a 'pin 59 on the machine frame engaging a vertical slot Si in the link. A spring'68 is pro vided to constantly urge the link towards the operative position with one end of the slot 58 bearing against the pin 59. A tumbler 61 pivoted on the slide and prevented'from swinging anticlockwise by a stop pin I35 is positioned to engage with a pin I36 on the head of. the link 41, during the leftward travel of the carriage 33, and thus swing the lower end of the link 41 out of operative relationship with the lever 46, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2.

V The constructional form of distributing mechanism illustrated in detail in Figures 5 to 9 of the drawings, comprises an endless chain conveyor 79 which carries a plurality of line holders 69, passed around sprocket wheels H3 and is, intermittently moved to effect presentation of one line holder at assembler level and another line holder at the distributing level. There are pref.- erably three line holders spaced equidistantly along the chain, each line holder being pivotally supported on a block or plate H connected to a link of the conveyor. Each line holder comprises rails 72 (Figure '7) for supporting thelugs of the matrices and spacebands respectively, and also a line resistant l3 frictionally fitting between the rails to hold a line in any position to which it is pushed on transfer from the elevator. Each holder further comprises a tail-piece N carrying a roller l5 positioned to engage, during the movement of the conveyor, fixed cams l6, controlling the position of the holders. The cams 16 may be arranged to sustain each holder at the 1ine-receiving station A slightly inclined downwardly from the receiving end at the assembler level, as shown best in full lines in Figure 6, and in a horizontal position at the distributing station B for the delivery of the line to the distributor (see the full line position in Figure 8), while at an inter-' mediate station C each holder will be sustained in a position substantially parallel with the conveyor. I

On arriving at the distributing station B each holder is brought into horizontal alignment with a set of distributor approach rails 11 arranged to support the matrices and spacebands by their rices by their teeth during their passage over the gap; at this point, therefore, the spacebands are released from the rails into an auxiliary spaceband magazine 8t from which they are subsequently released into a channel 82 and thereby conducted to the usual spaceband magazine 65.

It may be here mentioned that the use of the auxiliaryfspaceband magazine'lil is desirable in view of the possibility of a number of spacebands being delivered in rapid succession from the approach rails, in which case they would not satisfactorily follow one another down the channel 82. As shown in Figure 8, the spaoebands are preferably released from the auxiliary magazine 8| by an escapement 91 of known form operated by a lever 93 and link 99 connected to the matrix lifter lever Hill the latter being operated in known manner to raise the matrices from the distributor box 66 onto the distributor screws. On leaving the channel 82 the spacebands are, in the constructional form illustrated, received between adjacent flights of travelling belts IOI which guide them on to a chute, I92 moving to the usual spaceband magazine 65.

At the completion of the inward stroke of the rake arm 78 it reaches theposition in which it is shown indotted lines in Figure l, the matrices then being stationary on the approach rails 11, between the gap 79 and the distributor lift box 66. The rake arm it is then returned to its rest position, shown in full lines at the left of Figures 1 and 8, ready for the transfer of the next line, and a pusher arm 83 comes into action on the line sustained by the approach rails to further advance the line therealong to the distributor box 66 by which thematrices are presented to the distributing. mechanism.

7 The rake arm 78 is preferably pivotally mounted on a slide 85 which reciprocates horizontally in a fixed guide 86 above the approach rails, and arranged to be automatically rocked into and out of operative position at the respective ends of. the stroke of the slide. For this purpose the rake arm IBcarries a roller 81 which runs in a track 88 at the inner end of which, i. e., the end nearestto the distributor, there is provided a hinged flapper 89 which is liftedby the roller 81 just before the slide reaches the end of the inward stroke, sothat at the commencement of the outward stroke the roller 81 runs up the flapper 89 on to a rail 84 above the track 83. At the outer end a cam 99 allows therake arm "[8 to again drop to the operative position with the roller 87 aligned with the track 88.

. The pusher arm 83 may be similarly operated.

It is carried on a slide 9i and has a roller 92 running inwardlyf on a rail 94 and outwardly in a track 93 beneath the rail. At the outer end of the track a flapp r plate 96 controls the raising of the arm B3Iand at the inner end a springcontrolled flapper plate 95 guides the roller 92 into the track 93 at the commencement of the outward stroke. Figure l-shows the extreme positions of the rake arm I3 and pusher arm 83 in full lines and in .dotted lines respectively. The timing of the operations of the two arms in relation to the conveyor movements is arranged so that the rake arm I8 is always ready to discharge a line from a line-holder 69 reaching the distributing station B, while a pusher arm 83 acts on the preceding line until all the matrices thereof have been delivered to the distributor. The slides 85 and SI are independently operated by mechanism shown in Figure l and now to be described.

The rake arm slide 85 is engaged by the upper arm of a lever I03 pivoted on a shaft I34 and having another arm I05 connected by a link I06 to a lever IIII operated by a cam I08. A spring I09 anchored to the machine frame D, and acting on the lever E33 serves to effect the outward movement of the slide 85, the inward movement thereof being controlled by the cam I88. The cam I08 also serves to effect the return to linereeeiving position of the line resistant I3 in the line holder 69 for the time being at the intermediate station C, through the actuation of a finger I3I rocking freely on a fixed stud- I32. A toothed segment I33 carried by the finger I3I meshes with a segment I34 operatively fast to the rake arm lever I03; hence, when the cam moves said lever inwardly the finger I3I is rocked downwardly to engage the resistant 'I3 and sweep it along the holder.

The pusher arm slide 9| is operated by link III! and lever III pivoted on the before-mentioned shaft I04 and having a segmental gear arm H2 in mesh with a gear segment on one arm of a lever I I3, the other arm of which is e ngaged by a cam H4. A spring H5 anchored to the machine frame D and acting on the lever I I I serves to hold the lever II3 in contact with the cam N4, the slide 9| thus being spring-operated inwardly and cam-operated on the outward stroke.

The cams I88 and I I4 are carried on a vertical cam shaft IIB which is operated by bevel gears I31, I33, from the main cam shaft III, as shown in Figure 10. The means for returning the line transfer carriage guide 36 to its normal position are also illustrated in Figure 10. Said means consist of a cam I 39 on the main cam shaft II'I and a lever I 40 connected to the upwardly extending portion of the guide. It will be understood that the downward movement of the guide 33 is by gravity, when the latch 40 is released.

Intermittent motion of the conveyor 12 is also derived from the last-mentioned cam shaft II! as illustrated in Figure 5, the lower sprocket wheel Il8 around which the conveyor chain is guided being driven by a gear H9 in mesh with a pinion I20 which is in turn driven in one direction only through a free wheel I2I in mesh with a rack I22 which is reciprocated by a link I23 and lever I24 held by a spring I25 in contact with a cam I26. The rack I22 is guided by a roller I2! and slotted guides I28. A ratchet wheel I29 operatively fixed to the gear I20 operating with a spring pawl I30 ensures that the sprocket I I 3 will be operated during only the outward cam-controlled stroke of the rack I22.

In the constructional form of machine illustrated, the elevator 5'! has a cam controlled movement downwardly to the casting mechanism and upwardly to the line-receiving position, it being understood that these movements, as well as the movements" of other organs of the machine, with which the present invention is not specifically concerned, and which, therefore, are not described in detail, are controlled automatically in the usual manner by cams or gears from the main cam shaft II I.

It should be noted that the introduction of the line into the elevator is, in the apparatus illustrated, accompanied by the ejection therefrom of the previously composed line, the travel of the transfer carriage 33 being made to serve the dual purpose, and that as the elevator descends to the casting position the carriage guide 36 is raised and the carriage 33 returned to its waiting position above the assembler. It is also to be noted that the particular constructional forms of the device hereinbefore described are given merely as examples and that alternative constructional forms may be employed in carrying the invention into effect.

Having described our invention, we declare that what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a typographical composing machine, the combination with a fixed assembler in which matrices are composed in line, of a pair of linetransfer fingers movable downwardly into the assembler to embrace a line therein and laterally to carry the line out of the assembler.

2. In a typographical composing machine, the combination with a fixed assembler in which matrices are composed in line, and a resistant located in the assembler adapted to yield against a line advancing in the assembler, of a pair of line-transfer fingers movable downwardly into the assembler to embrace a line therein and laterally to carry the line out of the assembler and means controlled by the descent of the linetransfer carriage adapted to' remove the resistant from the assembler.

3. In a typographical composing and line casting machine, the combination with a fixed assembler in which matrices are composed in line, an elevator in which a composed matrix-line is presented to a casting mechanism, a distributing mechanism to which a composed matrix-line is delivered after casting and a conveyor adapted to carry a composed line directly from the elevator to the distributing mechanism, of a linetransfer carriage movable laterally to carry a composed line from the assembler to the elevator and operative simultaneously to carry a previously composed line from the elevator to the conveyor.

4. In a typographical composing and line casting machine, a combination according to claim 3, characterised by an endless conveyor comprising a plurality of line holders, and means adapted to move said conveyor intermittently to carry the line holders in succession from a line receiving station to a distributing station.

5. In a typographical composing and line casting machine, a combination according to claim 3, characterised by an endless conveyor comprising a plurality of line holders, each embodying a line resistant slidable therein during the insertion of a line, means adapted to move said conveyor intermittently to carry the line holders in succession from a line receiving station to a distributing station and to an intermediate station, and means operable on a line holder at the intermediate station to return the line resistant to the line-receiving position.

6. In a typographical composing machine, the combination with a fixed assembler inwhich matrices are composed in line, and a resistant located in the assembler adapted to yield against a line advancing in the assembler, of a pair of line-transfer fingers movable downwardly into the assembler to embrace a line therein and laterally to carry the line out of the assembler, means controlled by the descent of the linetransfer fingers adapted to remove the resistant from the assembler and means controlled by the lateral movement of the line-transfer fingers adapted to return the line resistant to operative position in the assembler.

7. In a typographical composing and line casting machine, a combination according to claim 3, characterised by an endless conveyor comprising a'plurality of line holders, means adapted to move said conveyor intermittentlyto carry the line holders in succession from a linereceiving station to a distributing station and to an intermediate station, and means operable during the movement of the conveyor to guide each line holder to an inclined position at the receiving station, a horizontal position at the distributing station and a substantially vertical position at the intermediate station.

8. In a typographical composing and line casting machine, a combination according to claim 3, characterised by an endless conveyor comprising a plurality of line holders, means adapted to move said conveyor intermittently to carry the line holders in succession from a line receiving station to a distributing station, means operable at the distributing station to carry a line out of a holder towards. the distributor,

and means operable to separate spacebands from.

matrices in the line during the movement of the line towards the distributor.

9. In a typographical composing and line casting machine, a combination according to claim 3, characterised by an endless conveyor comprising a plurality of line holders, means means operable at the distributing station to carry a line out of a holder towards the distributor, means operable to separate spacebands from matrices in the line during the movement of the line towards the distributor and means operable to continue the movement of matrices towards the distributor after the separation of the spacebands therefrom. 7

10. In a typographical composing and line casting machine, a combination according to claim 3, characterised by an endless conveyor comprising a plurality of line holders, means adapted to move said conveyor intermittently to carry the line holders in succession from a line receiving station to a distributing station, means operable at the distributing station to carry a line out of a holder towards the distributor, means operable to separate spacebands from matrices in the line during the movement of the line towards the distributor, an auxiliary spaceband magazine adapted to receive the spacebands thus separated, automatically operating escapement mechanism adapted to release spacebands individually from said auxiliary spaceband magazine, and a-chute adapted to conduct spacebands so released to a main spaceband magazine.

11. In a typographical composing machine the combination with a fixed assembler in which matrices are composed in line, a resistant located in the assembler, an assembler slide comprising a leading portion carrying said resistant pivotally attached to a following portion, of a pair of line transfer fingers movable downwardly to embrace a line therein and laterally to carry the line out of the assembler, means controlled by the descent of the line transfer fingers adapted to lower the leading portion of the assembler slide, and means controlled by the lateral movement of the transfer fingers to raise said leading portion and restore the resistant and slide to the line receiving position. I

RICHARD HENRY SCO'IT. WILLIAM FAIRALL GORSE. V ARTHUR STANILAND HAYWARD. 

